Cocaine (crack, snow, flake, C, coke, blow, dream, devil’s dandruff, white dragon) Ally Cappiello

Coca is grown most in South America, specifically Colombia. Made from coca leaves. Coca is grown most in South America, specifically Colombia.

In the Past…

… And Now Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the US Controlled Substances Act Has a high potential for abuse Causes dependence Has some medical uses Other: morphine, oxycodone, PCP

Short-Term Effects Cocaine is a stimulant. Increase physical activity Increase heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure More alert Elevated mood Decrease hunger and sleep Other stimulants: caffeine, nicotine, meth, Adderall

Withdrawal After someone uses cocaine, they can experience withdrawal Vivid, unpleasant dreams Depression Disturbed sleep cycle Tiredness Increased appetite Agitation People will sometimes take the drug again to avoid these withdrawal effects

Long-Term Effects Addiction Tolerance Unhealthy weight Need more cocaine to get the same high Unhealthy weight Nose bleeds and decay Can lead to seizures, heart attack, stroke, coma, or death

Billy Mays – Heart Disease, complicated by cocaine use Chris Farley – Morphine and Cocaine Overdose John Belushi – Speedball (Heroin & Cocaine) Whitney Houston – Drowning, complications of cocaine and heart disease

The Brain And Reward The brain is pre-wired with a “pleasure center” to give feelings of reward. Behaviors like eating and sex activate this area since they are important for survival. Drugs hijack this area to cause extreme feelings of reward. This causes cravings and addiction.

Neurons Neurons are the cells that make up the brain and spinal cord They talk to each other across synapses using chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurons use DOPAMINE to communicate reward. Soma (Cell body) Dendrite Axon

The Synapse The first neuron releases neurotransmitters into the synapse. Neurotransmitters bind like a lock and key to receptors on second cell. This changes the second cell and it can send the message to other cells. Cell 1 Neurotransmitters Receptors Cell 2

Neurotransmitter Recycling Release of neurotransmitter from Cell 1 Binding of neurotransmitter to Cell 2 Recycling of neurotransmitter back into Cell 1 Repeat

Now with Cocaine… COCAINE

Dopamine = Reward If dopamine can’t get recycled back into cell 1, it can bind again and again to cell 2. A lot of dopamine means a lot of pleasurable and rewarding feelings.

Why is this Bad? When the brain feels rewarded from drugs, it says “that was good for me, do it again.” But the brain has been tricked by the drugs; the drugs are actually harming the brain and body. This causes drug-seeking behavior and more harm to the brain and body.

Why Is This Bad?

Treatment There is no “cure” for cocaine addiction. Relapse is common. Treatment plans are made specifically for the individual and include many aspects. Therapy, rehab, and support groups are helpful. Addiction is a chronic disease and must be treated continually.